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Introduction In the new globalized world, noise pollution has started to become a public health problem. We searched for publications about noise pollution in our study. In our study, we examined the noise pollution articles in the Web of Science (WoS) database. Material and Methods A total of 2722 papers were identified which were published between 2001 and 2020, finally, 1815 articles were analyzed. VOSviewer (version 1.6.11) tool used for bibliometric web visualizations. Results When trend analysis was applied to the number of articles by years, a statistically significant increase was detected. The United States contributed the most publications. The countries with the most articles per million population were determined to be Scotland, Singapore, and Ireland, respectively. Most articles on noise pollution were published in the journal Applied Acoustics. The three most used keywords are “noise pollution”, “noise” and “traffic noise”. Conclusions This study showed that there has been a trend of an increasing number of articles on noise pollution in recent years. Also it can be considered that this bibliometric study will help identify gaps in the current research data.

This paper presents the results of a study on optimising the feed stream pressure of the Mixed Fluid Cascade natural gas liquefaction cycle. The objective is to optimise the pressure of the feed stream to distribute heat effectively over the cooling stages and reduce the energy cost of the cycle. To achieve the goal, the following tasks have been done: constructing the mathemati-cal model of the cycle, performing the calculation experiment for different values of the feed stream pressure to determine energy characteristic values, and determining the optimal values of feed stream pressure. The flow characteristics of the working substances in the cycle are deter-mined based on the Peng–Robinson–Stryjek–Vera equations of state and Benedict–Webb–Rubin. The mass flow of the working substance is calculated for each cycle's stage heat load, at both constant and different values of the working point temperatures. The distribution of heat load for liquefying 1 kg of natural gas by stages is displayed, and achievable working point tem-peratures of the feed flow are determined. The energy consumed by the compressor units and the amount of compression heat dissipated are calculated. The study's main finding is that the optimal feed pressure in the Mixed Fluid Cascade cycle is higher than the standard pressure. The significance of the obtained results lies in the significant reduction of energy costs of the Mixed Fluid Cascade cycle at a feed stream pressure of 13 MPa.

The paper presents the results of the study of a two-stage procedure for selecting a reference object in the current image formed by a correlation-extreme system used for autonomous navigation of unmanned aerial vehicles. The aim of this paper is to theoretically evaluate the probability of selecting low-dimensional low-contrast objects in the segmented current image according to the proposed two-stage procedure. To achieve this goal, the problem of segmentation of images of the sighting surface and subsequent selection of the reference object in the presence of heterogeneous objects differing in brightness and area characteristics is solved. The most significant result is the justification of application of two-stage procedure of selection of the reference object in the current image by brightness and area parameters using the set thresholds. The significance of the obtained results consists in establishing the dependence of the probability of correct selection of the reference object on the noise level of the current images. It is shown that the probability of correct selection of the object in the image is a function of the threshold value and can be maximised by choosing its value. This approach allows to consider the influence of various factors leading to image noise on the quality of images formed by the navigation system. It is shown that when noise distorts more than 31% of the image pixels, the proposed two-stage procedure allows to ensure the selection of the reference object in the image with a probability not lower than 0.9.

The paper deals with a capacity of high-voltage cable line made of three single-core cross-linked polyethylene insulated power cables. We consider three cases. First is a single-point bonded cable system when no magnetic field shielding technique is implemented and the capacity achieves maximum values. Second is a solidly bonded cable system when a thermal effect of induced shield currents causes a capacity reduction. The third case under study is a single-point bonded cable system covered by the passive loop. The passive loop mitigates the cable line magnetic field as well as the solidly bonding does, but also the thermal effect of passive loop currents reduces the capacity. The goal of the paper is to evaluate the relative change of cable line capacity when implementing magnetic field shielding techniques comparably to unshielded case. To achieve the goal we use a standard IEC 60287 when calculating the cable line capacity in the first and the second cases, and a thermal field simulation in the third case. The capacity is evaluated by successive approximations. Iterations are stopped when the conductor reaches the maximum operating temperature. We show that the increase in cable spacing does not guarantee the capacity increase when the solid bonding of cable shields or the passive loop is used. The most significant result is the substantiation of the advantages of passive loop, which provides the greater capacity in comparison with solid bonding at equivalent magnetic field shielding efficiencies. The obtained results can be used when choosing the type of bonding and the technique of cable line magnetic field mitigation.

The purpose of this work is to determine the heat transfer coefficient of translucent fences, considering the number of storeys of buildings, climatic factors, such as wind velocity and outdoor temperature. To achieve this goal, the following tasks were solved: analysis of heat transfer in translucent enclosures as a quasi-stationary process; analysis of heat transfer processes in translucent barriers, which are a combination of solid transparent plates and air gaps connected by a frame structure; determination of the heat transfer coefficient on the glass surface depending on climatic factors and the radiant component. The most important result is the empirical dependence of the heat transfer coefficient on the outer surface of the window block on the Reynolds criterion, the dependences for determining the heat transfer coefficient of window blocks are improved, considering climatic parameters. The heat transfer coefficient of the window block as a whole is presented in the form of analytical ratios, considering the location of the building and its height, changes in wind velocity and outdoor temperature. This methodology was tested on the example of a civil administrative building, for which the heat transfer coefficients of window structures of non-standard series were evaluated. The significance of the research results lies in the possibility of using the obtained dependencies to assess the thermal characteristics of window structures of non-standard shapes. The dependences of the heat transfer coefficient on wind speed and outside air temperature given in the paper can be used in the energy audit of buildings.

Introduction. Intersectoral collaboration in public health represents a huge potential for optimizing the three fundamental public health actions: disease prevention, health protection, and healthcare awareness. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the engagement of the parties particularly interested in disease prevention and control. Material and methods. A mixed qualitative and quantitative research (in-depth interviews/questionnaire survey) was carried out in this paper. Results. Most of the respondents assessed the intersectoral cooperation as unsatisfactory and consider that the latest reform of the Public Health Service had a negative impact on it. The pandemic alert caused by the COVID-19 infection served as a catalyst to improve cooperation. The main barriers to collaboration are considered the lack of staff and insufficient communication, various viewpoints and lack of public health knowledge, an overlying complex legal framework, and lack of motivation, which often requires central authority involvement. Conclusions. Some barriers to cooperation can be overcome without any systemic changes and centralized involvement, while more easily achievable measures such as joint training are sufficient. Thus, understanding these aspects can greatly improve the interaction between services.

he events of the late 1980s-early 1990s played a key role in the history of Georgia. April 9, 1989, was one of the most important events in this respect. It defined the shared identity and memory for a long time and determined future developments in the country. April 9 proved to be a paradigmatic event in the recent history of Georgia. The narrative of trauma and triumph was formed, being reflected in historical, literary and documentary texts, as well as in different sites of memory. Two years later, at the very place of the tragedy, the restoration of independence of Georgia was declared. The paper deals with the process of the crystallization of April 9 as a paradigmatic event. Cultural patterns that played a crucial role in the establishment of the traumatic-triumphal narrative of April 9, 1989, and in the thirty-year dynamics of the attitudes towards this event are explored. The study presents how April 9 and its resonance influenced the perception of the past, as well as further developments. Theories of collective memory and cultural trauma serve as the theoretical framework for the research, while official documents, memoirs, literary texts and various types of media sources form its empirical basis.

Estonia is often seen as a model student among the post-communist countries. Many renowned think tanks and organizations measuring the quality of democracy (e.g., Freedom House, Varieties of Democracy, Bertelsmann Foundation) often give Estonia the highest scores in the region. However, the seemingly spotless façade hides growing tensions and emergent contradictions. The current paper will focus on the two most worrisome trends that have become evident in recent years, if not even earlier: (1) the limited success in integrating the large Russian-speaking minority and (2) the rise of the populist radical right. The failure to integrate the ethnic minorities would increase frustration and political alienation among Russian speakers, making it more difficult to build a healthy, cohesive democratic community. However, the rise of the populist radical right, namely the remarkable electoral success of EKRE (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), has proven to be a bigger challenge because it demonstrates that many Estonians are deeply dissatisfied with how democracy works in their country. The article discusses whether it would be possible for dissatisfied Estonians and Russians to join forces to challenge the current liberal democratic model in Estonia. The analysis shows that even if the initial attempts have failed, one could not entirely rule out that prospect.

The paper presents a synthesis of investigations with 30 inbred lines of maize from different germplasm groups (BSSS, Iodent, Lacaune, Lancaster) and different ma-turity groups as parental forms. The research was carried out at the Institute of Crop Science „Porumbeni”, in the pedoclimatic conditions of 2022. As a result of topcross pollinations, hybrids from 6 maturity groups were obtained, which differ in morphologi-cal characters, productivity and the rate of water loss from the grains. Hybrids from the middle maturity group resulted in a higher productivity, compared to the hybrids from the other maturity groups. The rate of grain moisture loss for the hybrids from middle maturity group is more pronounced compared to early hybrids and is at the same level as late maturity group hybrids.

This paper tries to synthesize the history of economic thinking regarding the correlation between culture and the economic development during the last centuries. The use of culture to explain the economic performance has not been popular among social science researchers in recent decades. Most economic models are based on the idea that people are essentially rational beings and make decisions in their own interest. What people choose to do depends on their beliefs. But culture can give rise to a set of rational beliefs. In economic history, some economists have questioned the classic concept of the „rational economic man” mentioning the increasing role of non-economic behavior in modern economies. These two positions can be reconciled if we reduce the social norms that govern entire societies based on the actions of individuals who look out for their own interests. Regardless of which models of economic thinking a historical retrospective is based on, an important conclusion is that throughout history, social and cultural factors have been among the important catalysts of the economic life. In the paper, it is argued that some factors such as European culture and European political traditions, etc., have an essential contribution to the economic success of those countries that follow them.

Since its first issue, of January 1, 1936, the „Însemnări ieșene” [„Notes from Jassy”] Magazine (1936-1940) has emphasized the orientation of „a group of intellectuals” that aimed to continue the tradition of the literary, cultural and scientific circles from Moldavia, with a focus on a series of ideas related to „national specificity”, „popular language”, „cultural unification”. For almost five years, the magazine polarized intellectuals from all over Moldavia and had an intense program of dissemination of the Romanian culture through the organization of itinerant conferences in the cities of Jassy, Tighina, Kishinev, Soroca and Balti. The September 1, 1940 issue of the magazine was dedicated to Bessarabia and Bukovina and was remarkable for its spiritual Romanian essence. The present paper dwells on the importance of this special issue of the magazine, which deals with a number of representative topics announced by the article titles such as: „Basarabia până la 1812” [„Bessarabia until 1812”], „Viața românească în Basarabia (1812-1918”) [„Romanian Life in Bessarabia (1812-1918)”], „Mărturii moldovenești la Nistru” [„Moldavian Testimonies on the Dniester River”], „Basarabia – provincie istorică rusească?” [„Bessarabia–Russian Historical Province?”], „Universitatea din Cernăuți” [„The University of Chernivtsi”], „A doua pierdere a Bucovinei și Basarabiei” [„The Second Loss of Bukovina and Bessarabia”], „Iar vremuri de bejanie”, [„New Times of Turmoil”], „Și totuși, nu deznădăjduim!” [„And Yet, We Do Not Despair!”] and many more. This unique issue was illustrated with numerous images from Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, as well as with portraits of cultural personalities born in the Romanian land between the Prut and Dniester rivers, all meant to discuss and emphasize the national identity of Romanians through culture.

The paper is aimed to strengthen the controllability of electricity consumption mode at all structural layers of the country’s energy system (ES) to establish the optimal load curve in the PS. Following this goal, the energy system was broken down into seven structural layers - from the technological operation to the ES. For each layer, an expert assessment of the effectiveness of six institutional and operational methods of electricity demand-side management (DSM) was done. The integrated application of the suggested methods was tested in two industrial consumers, which proved the effectiveness of this approach for leveling their aggregated load curve. To ensure an appropriate economic impact on the electricity demand, given the influence of individual consumers on the load curve fluctuation in the ES, a particular price function considering the cross-correlation coefficient of the load curves was developed. It was proved that the complex DSM methods application significantly improved the controllability of the electricity consumption mode. To incentivize consumers to adjust their electricity consumption, a special price system functionally related to the cross-correlation coefficient of the consumer and the ES load curves was developed. The marginal price values depending on the cross-correlation coefficient were defined, while the intermediate price values were calculated by the functional transformation of the ES load curve into the price scale. The significance of the research results lies in the fact that ranking the DSM methods by the priority of application for various structural layers of ES and their integrated application almost doubled the DSM effectiveness.

The aim of the work is to create an interconnected numerical model of the magnetic, hydrody-namic and temperature fields of a ferrofluid sealer and to analyze thermal processes occurring in high-speed seals. This goal is achieved by selecting the necessary equations, boundary condi-tions, assumptions and physical properties of the magnetic fluid when building the numerical model of the sealer’s working gap, verification of the developed model by the results of the physical experiment. The important results of the work are the obtained and analyzed data on the influence both of physical properties and the geometry of the working gap of the ferrofluid sealer on the heating of the ferrofluid. With a shaft radius of 140 mm and a linear velocity at the shaft surface of 25 m/s due to viscous heating the ferrofluid temperature exceeding the ambient temperature can reach values up to 80 degrees and higher, it has been shown. The use of the equation proposed by V.E. Fertman to determine the thermal conductivity of ferrofluid and the mixing rule to determine its heat capacity allows us to describe with sufficient accuracy for en-gineering calculations the thermophysical properties of concentrated ferrofluids, it was shown. The significance of the results consists in the possibility of using the developed numerical model in the study of interrelated physical processes in the working gap of the ferrofluid sealer of ro-tating shafts. The physical and concentration parameters of the synthetic oil-based magnetic fluid given in the paper and the results of its test operation as part of a ferrofluid seal can be used to verify the results of newly developed models of ferrofluid devices.

The relevance of the paper is in the target setting of the early vocal creative work of Gustav Mahler, an outstanding Austrian composer – the Cycle of Songs to Josephine Poisl, Fourteen Songs and Romances from Youth, Songs of a Wayfarer. This study is focused on exploring the early chamber-vocal cycles of G. Mahler in terms of style and musical theme features. The said topic has not yet been an object of a separate study. It was partly covered by such musicologists as I. Barsova, I. Leopa, D. Mitchell, Z. Roman, who studied the genesis and interaction issues of the word and music in the above-mentioned chamber-vocal cycles by G. Mahler. The research methodology is based on biographical, historical-cultural, system-analytical and comparative methods.

This paper considers the problem of the influence of distancing elements in slot matrix channels on the thermohydraulic characteristics of the matrix of a rotary heat exchanger having various values of the height of the slot channels. The following tasks were carried out: mathematical modeling of thermohydraulic processes in different slot channels having constant height along them (from 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm); analysis of the influence of the slit channels' height, the number of distancing elements in rows, the distance between rows and the total number of elements on the average value of the Nusselt number and on the pressure drop; analysis of the effect of changes in speed and temperature conditions on thermal and hydraulic characteristics. The most important results are the following facts: the influence of the relative location of the distancing elements on the thermohydraulic characteristics of the flow is negligible; changes in the tempera-ture and speed regime of the laminar flow practically does not affect the intensity of convection in the matrix channels; an increase in the height of the slot channel leads to a relatively small decrease in the average value of the Nusselt number. The significance of the results obtained is that they can be the basis for adjusting the methods of design calculations of rotary heat exchangers taking into account the decrease in thermal effi-ciency caused by the presence of distancing elements in the channels of their matrices. Recom-mendations can be made to minimize the number of distancing elements without considering their mutual location.

Public Education was an essential feature of nation-building throughout Europe during the 19th century. Nationalizing states designed school policies to transform peasants into nationals and citizens. However, kindergartens were primarily urban institutions. One of their goals was to teach young children modern languages. At the beginning of the 20th century, Romanian elites started to create and adjust them to nationalise Dobruja and Cadrilater, the two provinces integrated into the Old Kingdom. Both regions were ethnically diverse. In localities primarily inhabited by a minority population, the purpose of kindergartens was to spread the Romanian language and national culture. This article focuses on the national integration of South Dobruja through public kindergartens. It also examines the professional path of teachers serving in these regions until the end of the 1940s. Finally, the paper follows teachers’ interaction with the locals and their efforts to mediate between the pedagogical and national aims of Greater Romania and the local interests that sometimes collided with the state school policies.

This paper discusses the development of cooperation between the Orthodox Church and educational establishments in Belarus. The first Agreement on Cooperation between the Ministry of Education and the Belarusian Orthodox Church (BOC) was signed in 1994, several years before the adoption of a new Law on the Freedom of Conscience and the signing of the Agreement on Cooperation between the Church and the State. Although many objectives, stated in the first Agreement, were not met on time, there was a continuing and mutually beneficial cooperation between the Ministry and the BOC since then, with a series of Programmes of Cooperation, signed every 2-4 years. The Orthodox Church is the only religious denomination in Belarus which concludes Programmes of Cooperation with the Ministry of Education; however, one cannot claim that the general legislative framework is particularly favourable for this Church. Indeed, there are some restrictions, limiting the presence of the BOC and its representatives in educational establishments.

The purpose of this presented paper is determining the main indicators of soil fertility of typical chernozems in the Northern part of Moldova, by the Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy method, used as a rapid and cost-effective analytical tool for the assessment and monitoring of their quality over time. The study was carried out in the fields of 10 districts in the northern area of Republic of Moldova. For the analysis of the agrophysical and agrochemical soil properties, a total of 16 soil pro-files cultivated with different agricultural crops (winter wheat, corn, winter barley, sunflower, soybean, peas, sugar beet) and a soil profile from a fallow land were taken. Data on soil texture (clay, silt and sand fractions) do not show large differences between the sampling regions and the depth of the soil layer. On average, physical clay content is 53-64%, and fine clay content is 35-44%. The humus content varies between 3.48-4.85% in the arable soil layer and between 2.69-4.80% in the 25-50 cm sub-arable layer. The total nitrogen content in the investigated soils correlates with the humus content. The higher the humus content, the higher the total nitrogen content. Total N content ranges from 0.28% (chernozem under fallow) to 0.13% (chernozem grown with maize) in the 0-50 cm soil layer. The C:N ratio is equal to 10-11 in the 0-50 cm soil layer and 8-11 in the 50-100 cm layer. The pH values vary between 5.9-7.2 in the 0-50 cm layer and 6.8-8.1 in the 50-100 cm soil layer. Carbonates are accumulated throughout the soil profile. Comparing the results previously obtained on the typical chernozems under fallow land with the results obtained on the arable chernozems investigated in this study, showed that there is a tendency of the humus content decrease by about 2%, especially in the 0-50 cm soil layer, as a result of applied agricultural practices. Simultaneously, degradation processes are amplified, especially through erosion. In this context, the main issue is the need to monitor soil fertility to assess the impact of agricultural management applied by farmers.

The paper presents the synthesis of new coordination compounds of Cu(II), Mn(II), Fe(III) Co(III), Ni(II) and Zn(II) with N(4)-((3)-ethyl benzoate)thiosemicarbazones of 2-formyl pyridine derivatives obtained through the condensation of N(4)-((m)-ethyl benzoate) thiosemicarbazide with 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde, 2-acetylpyridine and 2-benzoylpyridine. The characterization of new compounds was done by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR spectroscopy, conductivity and elemental analysis. In addition, the structures of the ligands (HL1,3) were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The effect of these complexes on antioxidant activity were studied and compared with those of free ligands. The best result was found to be on coordination compound [Zn(L1)Cl], with IC50 = 11.45 µM, it is better than the free ligand HL1, IC50 = 13.15 µM and is better than the substance Trolox, IC50 = 15.86 µM (it is a pronounced antioxidant taken as a control substance). Keywords: synthesis, characterization, thiosemicarbazones, coordination compounds, antioxidant activity.

The control system intelligence is determined by the ability to adapt to changing circuit-mode parameters. This approach is especially relevant for emergency automation, because the emer-gency depends on the huge number of factors. In addition, an accident can develop in cascade, causing uncontrolled and multiple changes in the grid topology and mode parameters. The for-mation of the control actions volume of emergency automatics is carried out on the basis of the computing of the mode on mathematical models of electrical grids, the accuracy of which de-termines the adequacy of the actions of automation, so the models verifying problem arises, in-cluding electromechanical parameters determining of the grid elements. The aim of the research is to develop methods for parameter identification of synchronous generators. The paper pre-sents two methods for identifying the synchronous generator constant inertia and the method for identifying the synchronous inductive resistance. The research of the proposed methods was carried out on the digital model assembled in MatLab Simulink, where the 200 MVA 13.8 kV generator was simulated. In addition, the research was performed using the physical electrody-namic model. The parameters of the generator 3000 VA 230 V were determined. The results of parameters determining by the classical methods of open-circuit and short-circuit are presented. The significance of these methods is that the generator is connected to the grid and is in an op-eration mode. This will make possible to form and refine the model online in accordance with the circuit-mode situation, which will increase the control actions adequacy.

The insulation of an oil-filled transformer is based on materials of organic origin - oil and wood pulp. The state of insulation is a key factor in the reliable operation of a power equipment, and much attention is paid to the insulation state assessment by researchers. To assess the cellulose insulation state, indicators such as the degree of polymerization and paper moisture are deter-mined. The existing methods for determining the moisture content and the degree of polymeriza-tion of a paper insulation have disadvantages, as they require a complex process of sampling the insulation, which is a time-consuming operation. The purpose of the work is to develop new methods for determining the moisture content and the degree of polymerization of the paper in-sulation of a power transformer. This goal is achieved by obtaining the reflection spectra of the paper insulation samples and constructing two correlation lines to determine the degree of polymerization and humidity. The most significant result of the article is the establishment of the dependence of the reflection coefficient of the paper on the concentration of water exceeding 4% and the position of the minimum in the reflection spectrum of paper insulation on the degree of polymerization. The significance of the obtained results lies in the fact that the optical method for determining the moisture content and the degree of polymerization of paper insulation using the constructed correlation lines is highly accurate and does not require the use of additional re-agents and complex calculations.

Steganography is the perspective area of information security. The reliability of the stegano- graphic system, its stability is affected by the carrier – a container, which is considered in the paper as a digital image. The aim of the work is to increase the resistance of a steganographic system to attacks against an embedded message by developing a method for choosing a contain-er from a finite set of available digital images that ensures the transmitted message the minimum (close to the minimum) possible sensitivity of the generated steganographic message to disturb-ing influences under consideration with the selected steganographic algorithm. The goal was achieved using a theoretical study of perturbations of the formal parameters of the container ma-trix, as a result of steganographic transformation and active attacks, which made it possible to introduce a new formal representation for information protected from perturbing influence E, as the difference of low-rank approximations of container matrices and steganographic messages. The most important result of the work is the development of a container selection method ready for practical implementation. The efficiency of the developed method exceeds the efficiency of analogs, it remains high, regardless of the used steganographic method, which allows increasing the overall resistance of the steganographic system to attacks against the embedded message. The significance of the obtained result lies in the use of the developed method of increasing the stability of the steganographic system to attacks against the embedded message.

The work is devoted to the temperature control system at the outlet of a shell and coil heat exchanger with a variable heat exchange area, subjected to a change in the surface area by changing the level of the heated coolant in the heat exchanger. The aim of the study is to develop a model for the process of changing the heat exchange surface area and a temperature control system at the outlet of such a heat exchanger when the level of the liquid changes. The set goal is achieved by solving the following problems: development of discretization schemes for a system of differential equations describing the dynamics of the heat exchanger, development of an automatic control system for the temperature at the heat exchanger outlet by changing the heat exchange surface area of the heat exchanger and assessing the possibility of compensating disturbances. The most significant results are: discretization schemes for equations of dynamics of a heat exchanger with a variable heat exchange surface area, the use of which makes it possible to improve the accuracy of modeling and in the substantiation of the structure and choice of parameters of the controller. The paper presents two discretization schemes for differential equations of the dynamics of heat exchanger: a scheme using the method of lines and the method of running counting. It has been established that when using a scheme using two pumps to level control, the dynamics of the object depends on the sign of the derivative of the control signal.

Traditionally, university study programs are completed with exams and research papers developed individually, supported publicly, in the presence of a committee. The way of organization and the content of this final test meet the objective of integrating the knowledge obtained within the program. Despite a long tradition, this modality does not sufficiently cover the future professional commitment of students. Capstone courses represent a culminating experience with two perspectives: one focused on consolidating and integrating what had been learned; the other prepares the way for a successful professional initiation into the field of the university program. In this study we describe the way to complete university study programs through "capstone" experiences and discuss the opportunity of adopting this model in local university curricula.

Introduction. Sugar consumed in reasonable quantities plays a beneficial role for the human body. In recent decades, however, it has been found that increased sugar consumption has negative effects on the health of the population. Material and methods. The paper presents a synthesis of official international and national documents and bibliographic sources on the occurrence of certain non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as a result of excessive sugar consumption. A focused search of literature sources was conducted using the Google Scholar search engine, PubMed, Research for Life, and Medline databases. The criteria for selecting the items included health problems caused by excessive sugar consumption. Results. Excessive sugar consumption contributes to the emergence of various NBTs such as circulatory system diseases, type 2 diabetes and a. Excessive sugar consumption has a major contribution to the phenomenon of overweight and obesity with its consequences. Excess sugar in the daily diet is one of the main causes of tooth decay. According to WHO recommendations, complex, multi-sectoral interventions are needed to reduce sugar consumption. Conclusions. In order to prevent NCDs associated with the nutritional factor, especially with excessive sugar consumption, in the Republic of Moldova, it is important to implement cost-effective interventions both socially and economically.

It is well-known that transnational data flows are rising simultaneously with the increasing use of social media, webmail, messaging services, and apps to communicate, work, socialize and gain information, unfortunately, including also unlawful purposes. Criminal procedural measures for gathering evidence as part of a criminal investigation are usually national in scope, but obtaining electronic evidence often has cross-border implications. Courts and legislatures have often failed to keep pace with rapid advances in digital technology and computer software capabilities. This paper analyzes the European legal framework for the transnational gathering of electronic evidence in Europe. Initially, it argues the challenges of the cross-border gathering of electronic evidence in criminal investigations

This paper presents the assessment of the state of anxiety of vocalist students. Each individual has his own optimal or desired level of useful anxiety. Assessing the personal condition is an essential component of self-control and self-education. In order to differentiate the measurement of anxiety,both as a personality trait and as a state that reflects the current situation, the Spielberger-Khanin test was applied. It is a technique proposed by Ch. D. Spielberger and adapted into Russian by Yu. L. Khanin. This test helps to determine the anxiety within the personality structure.

The present paper is intended for the students of the Decorative Art speciality, the discipline - Artistic Processing of Metal and Jewelry. In order to make an ornament, it is necessary to know the materials, tools and the execution stages, which will allow you to manually make in material a model of an ornament with a unique contemporary design. The concept of contemporary jewelry design is the foundation to the finished product.

Within a democratic state and the rule of law a separate and very important role is played by the courts. The judiciary is the third power in the state, whose duty is to determine cases of violation of the rules of social coexistence, to resolve disputes arising between the subjects of the law, as well as other duties provided by the legislation in force. The courts are the main subject of the criminal process, because they fulfill the duties of judging and resolving criminal cases. The trial in the first instance is a stage that takes place after the criminal investigation stage and is the most important for the simple reason that it decides whether the person will be limited in certain of his rights or not. The basic purpose of this paper is the study regarding the presentation of evidence in court, focusing on the judicial analysis of the principles of the criminal process.

The article analyzes the status and activities of international non-governmental organizations, as well as phenomenon of social economy, social entrepreneurship and models of interaction and its promotion by international intergovernmental organizations. The ideology of social entrepreneurship is widespread – entrepreneurial activity that is focused on solving social problems, using innovative methods and technologies worldwide. Despite the sufficient popularity of the idea of social economy in the world, there are no clear boundaries for the term «social entrepreneurship», which is an obstacle to the institutionalization of this phenomenon in many countries. The terms «social entrepreneurship» and «social economy» were introduced by the international intergovernmental organizations as well as by the national legal regulation. An analysis of various international and regional approaches has shown that social entrepreneurship in scientific papers is considered in a narrow and broad sense. The article analyzes different international and regional models of regulating the social entrepreneurship projects activities, providing examples from America, European and post-Soviet countries. The final conclusion is that the INGOs and IIGOs are interacting. Social enterprises can play a key role in addressing pressing social and environmental challenges and supporting inclusive growth. Moreover, they can create new employment opportunities, especially for vulnerable groups of population especially in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Investigation of phase transitions related to changes in the crystalline structure of solid state materials represents an extremely important area of condensed mater physics, since they lead to reconfiguration of all the solid state physical properties, including electrical, optical, vibrational, elastic and mechanical properties. Hydrostatic pressure is one of the basic factors leading to the realization of phase transitions. Gaining knowledge of regularities and peculiarities of pressure induced phase transitions is important both from the fundamental and applicative point of view. In spite of multilateral investigation of this subject in elemental, binary and some ternary compounds, less attention has been paid to ordered-vacancy compounds. At the same time, possibilities to control the stoichiometric defects by applying hydrostatic pressure open new opportunities for defect engineering in such compounds. This review paper summarizes the results of investigations of phase transitions in ternary AIIBIII 2 CVI 4 compounds, which represent a subclass of ordered-vacancy compounds. Investigations were performed by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and optical absorption spectroscopy in crystals with initial crystallographic structure from three categories, including tetragonal, spinel, and rhombohedral layered structures. The dynamics of pressure induced changes is described. The regularities and the systematics of phase transitions in this class of semiconductor materials are revealed.

Introduction. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major problem with a negative impact on animal health and public health worldwide. Actions to reduce this phenomen are of major importance and require collective management in the context of "one health". Material and methods. The research material constituted the legislative acts that regulate the activity of the veterinary sanitary service within the National Agency for Food Safety, statistical data regarding the use of antimicrobial in the animal population from the republic. Results. The analysis of the data presented in the paper is focused on the legal acts of activity of the veterinary service in order to reduce the effect of RAM at the national level with the involvement of the authorities in the field of human and animal health, as well as environmental protection. Conclusions. The reduction of AMR at the national level can be achieved by creating an institutional framework responsible for intersectoral coordination and collaboration as well as the effective implementation of control of the release of animal medicaments only on the basis of veterinary prescriptions.

Milk is an excellent source of well-balanced nutrients and shows, also, biological activity that influence digestion, metabolic responses to absorbed nutrients and disease resistance. In this paper, 3 yogurt samples were made from a mixture of goat’s and cow’s milk: 3: 1; 1: 1; 1: 3. The quality characteristics were evaluated by means of physico-chemical indices (acidity, pH, syneresis, viscosity, total dry matter, fat content, protein content, aw, ash content), microbiological (total number of microorganisms and yeasts) and organoleptics. For the yogurt made from milk mixture in a ratio of 1: 1, higher quality indices were observed than the other samples, namely: an increase in the number of lactic acid bacteria more intense (0.98 ± 0.024 μ), respectively a higher lactic acid content (63,398 ± 0.022 g · dm-3), lowering of the pH value (6.75 ± 0.03-4.55 ± 0.01) and more special organoleptic characteristics: fine and homogeneous curd, without gas bubbles, pleasant taste and smell, without syneresis. This yogurt sample also showed the best results during the storage period (1-15 days).

Entrepreneurship education is an essential premise for involving young people in entrepreneurial activities and the teaching methods are extremely important in increasing the capacity of individuals to assimilate knowledge and stimulate young people’s interest in entrepreneurship. The paper aims to identify the specific of teaching methods used in Moldovan educational institutions, based on the survey of young people – mainly students, masters and doctoral students from universities and students from the technical vocational education institutions, who studied the entrepreneurship course. The survey involved 289 students. The questioning was done face to face or in groups. The results of the study showed that, most of the students highly appreciated such methods that combine theory with practice (such as business plan development), as well as methods that motivate students’ activity and cooperation between students and teachers (interactive lessons, group work). Less attractive to young people were economic and mathematical methods (except for doctoral students) and the analysis of legislation by example. Considering that the students show a greater interest for the practical and interactive aspect of the course teaching, one of the conclusions emphasizes that it is relevant to practice the teaching methods, based on the use of experience and experiments (role plays; imitations, etc.).

Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) proved to be a rapid, reliable and cost-effective method for soil analysis, but its prediction accuracy relies on the proper calibration model. In this paper, NIR spectroscopy in combination with partial least-squares regression (PLSR) was used to predict soil chemical properties on regional and local scales. The results obtained show a higher potential of NIRS to assess soil fertility on local scale, compared to a regional scale, with excellent prediction for organic C, carbonates and total N content (R2 ≥ 0.98 and RPD > 6), and good prediction for soil pH (R2 =0.88 and RPD > 3).

Ball brooches make a difficult research theme in Denmark. This is mainly because very few of the hitherto published specimens were found in a context or under circumstances that help to shed light on their chronology. The most recently published study is a very brief paper by Jesper Laursen on the chronology and typology of ball brooches (Laursen 1984). Laursen’s paper was published at a time when hobby metal detecting was only at its early stages in Denmark. Therefore, this hobby had not yet had its impact on the material. Metal detecting favors objects with much metal and since cultivated soil contains a lot of iron waste most hobby detectorists tend to screen for iron. Consequently, objects of bronze, silver and gold will have a tendency to dominate the finds brought in by these people, and especially massive objects.

The paper presents the synthesis of multiannual investigations concerning the development of inbred lines and early maize hybrids. 2874 sources were used over the period 1981-2020 for inbreeding and phenotypical selection, out of which 532 constant families were selected and were subject to preliminary assessment in terms of their production capacity, then transferred to the operational collection. The consequent testing resulted in the selection of 36 original lines used as parents of registered hybrids. At present, the related crosses – 56,7%, single cross hybrids – 31,6%, backcrosses – 11,4% and foreign hybrids – 0,3% are used as sources of initial material. The germplasm of alternative heterotic groups Reid Iodent – 40,1%, Euroflint – 28,9%, BSSS-B37 – 12,6%, Lancaster – 11,6%, Dent mixt – 4,0% and Dent canadian – 2,8% predominates in the lines’ pedigree. The heterotic patterns Reid Iodent x Euroflint and Reid Iodent x BSSS-B37 are mostly used for hybrid development. The production of commercial seeds for export is assured by 9 registered hybrids FAO 160-240 registered in Belarus. The hybrids Porumbeni 310, Porumbeni 305 and Alimentar 325 are used for cultivation in the Republic of Moldova.

The paper presents an analysis of the level of contingency and the contribution of each of the main yield components to the overall yield of winter wheat and their functional relationships in Balti steppe, Republic of Moldova. For the correlation analysis, the authors used the level of productivity of winter wheat and its main yield components obtained in the competitive variety trials during 2016-2020 in the Research Institute for Field Crops “Selectia”. In the experiment 6 morpho-biological indices for 15 typical varieties of 2 different ecotypes were analyzed. The coefficients of variation and correlation were determined according to the methodical guidance of Dospehov B.A. and Sedlovschi A.I. In the ecological conditions of the Republic of Moldova a strong direct cor-relation was established between the level of overall wheat productivity and its yield components - grain weight per ear and plant height, while an average correlation was revealed between overall productivity and the mass of 1000 grains and the amount of productive ears on the unit area (productive tillering).

The paper presents data on the response of F2 hybrid combinations and parental forms of tomato at different temperatures (optimal 25 C and stressful 40, 42 C), tested in laboratory conditions. It was established that stressful temperatures significantly affect the early ontogenesis of tomato varieties and hybrids by suppressing the growth of the embryonic root, stem and seedling (sometimes by stimulating them). Cluster analysis by the k-media method demonstrated that stressful temperatures manifested a higher discriminating ability of tomato clusters for seedling length and embryonic root length characters, which reveals a more pronounced specificity of interaction at these temperatures. Florina, Wake, Prestij and Rome varieties and F2 hybrid combinations Mary Gratefullt x Pontina, Prestij x Pontina, Rome x Wake have the highest complex resistance in terms of the reaction of the embryonic root, stem and seedling at 42 C temperature. They are of interest in the further process of breeding.

Staphylinids (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) are insects playing an important role in nature. They serve as indicators for various habitat types and are actively involved in regulating the density of some invertebrate species. The research aimed to inventory the staphylinid species in the State Nature Reserve „Plaiul Fagului”. In order to determine the Staphylinidae fauna framework, the author used the material collected in the period 2020-2021 and analysed literature data on staphylinids collected in previous periods (2005-2018). The paper presents a list of 46 species, highlighting the most important aspects characterizing this group as a whole. The list includes 3 staphylinids with the status of new species for the fauna of „Plaiul fagului” Reserve and for the Republic of Moldova, namely: Phloeopora concolor (Kraatz, 1856), Acylophorus glaberrimus (Herbst, 1784) and Xantholinus sublinearis (Coiffait, 1970).

It is known that the growth rate of a tree, respectively, a stand, during its life differs from one period of life to another. Thus, the growth rate is more accelerated at the beginning of life, so that, achieving the peak of growth in volume, this rate gradually decreases, becoming more and more weak in old age, until the tree stand passes into a state of decrepitude. This variation in the process of accumulation of wood biomass makes the eco-nomic efficiency of the tree, respectively, the stand, which varies depending on the development phase, i.e. its age. This increase in volume, usually expressed by the current annual growth of the tree, respectively, the stand at the level of measurement unit and transferred to total yield, ultimately defines its economic efficiency, which in turn varies according to the amplitude of the variation of the growth index. In this context, the purpose of this paper was to evaluate the diameter increments of sessile oak stands (Quercus petraea Liebl.) of vegetative origin from shoots in the Republic of Moldova in relation to the yield class, age and generation originating from shoots, as well as in relation to the composition and consistency of the stand at the level of physical-geographical areas and phytoclimatic levels.

Globally, the most used waste treatment method is landfilling, although (improper) landfilling, which is typical for developing countries, has no material or energy recovery possibility compared with other treatment methods. In Indonesia, open dumping on final disposal sites covers most of the treated waste, which is an even worse method than landfilling in terms of environmental issues. The main objective of this article is to evalu-ate the feasibility of the waste-to-energy solution/waste incineration approach for proper and sustainable waste management in Bandung. A big issue of municipal solid waste is the organic portion of waste, as most emissions and pollution come from organic waste and improper handling. A specific objective is to conduct the risk analysis of an incineration plant model and to compare the environmental impact of incineration vs landfilling. The input data for the assessment will be obtained from the laboratory analyses of solid waste samples collected from the Sarimukti disposal site. The lab analyses will comprise the determination of fractional composition (biodegrad-able and non-biodegradable compounds like food waste, paper, textiles, plastics) and physico-chemical properties (such as moisture content, calorific values, trace elements). The research will also include general calculations of energy balance and economic costs of the incineration plant. Thus, the selected criteria will assess the following aspects of the incineration plant model: technical, environmental, social, energy, and economic.

Wine is one of the most ancient commodities in the world. The critical residues from the wine industry are grape leaves, stems, grape pomace, grape seeds, yeast lees, tartrate, and wastewater. The indiscriminate disposal of produced wastewater has adverse environmental and health consequences. Nevertheless, winery effluent has substantial prospects as an energy source. Hence, this paper aims to briefly showcase the potential of energy generation from wastewater in the wine industry through anaerobic digestion. From literature and statistical records, in 2018, the cultivation of grapes in Moldova covered about 126,873 ha of land and produced 730,171 t of grapes, with over 24% pressed for wine production. Consequently, the industry released over 6 billion litres of wastewater. Therefore, by anaerobic digestion of this effluent, there is a potential for the wine industry to produce 459,166 MWh of electricity annually to satisfy nearly 287,000 people. This potential represents a very important step towards energy self-sufficiency of the wine industry and a contribution to the sustainable development goals concerning wastewater, energy and sanitation.

The paper is dedicated to streamlining the process of fruit dehydration, by microwave treatment in the tunnel, mainly by reducing electricity consumption. To address this issue, an experimental system for fruit dehydration was developed, thus the research being conducted applying a tunnel-type dehydrator. The experiments were performed on the example of apricots, peaches and plums. The results obtained with the application of the experimental system were compared with those obtained based on the classical dehydration technology. Fruit de-hydration based on the developed system reduces the consumption of electricity by about 1.37 times, compared to the application of classical technology.

The paper is focused on streamlining the seed drying process using the method of suspended layer treatment. The research was carried out with three types of oilseeds (grape, sea buckthorn seeds and linseeds), based on an experimental drying plant using convection and SHF as treatment agents. The results demonstrated that seed treatment process in a suspended layer ensures the increase of the speed and reduces the drying time. Moreover, the application of the developed installation allows to reduce the consumption of electricity and to re-duce the costs of technological processing.

The scientific researches presented in this paper aimed to study the aspects of the bacterial micro-flora in some assortments of cheese in their fresh state and in various refrigeration periods, sold in the industrial network, according to the scheme of classical microbiological laboratory procedure. Bacterioscopic and bacteriological investigations evaluated the number of Streptococcus and Lactobacillus colonies, yeast cells and condition-ally pathogenic species in hard and soft cheeses. Obtained data confirmed the presence of a normal bacterial microflora resulted from the lactic fermentation mechanism. Potential pathogenic microorganisms like Salmonella, Staphylococcus and coliform bacteria were not identified. These researches are of public interest as evidenced by the fact that dairy products sold in markets are of high quality and meet food safety and marketing requirements.

The organization of complete feed rations for cattle meeting the needs of animals in energy, protein, amino acids, minerals and vitamins in terms of basic nutrients and biologically active substances represents the main condition to achieve the genetic potential of productivity. The purpose of the paper was to optimize the pro-tein utilization in the body of young cattle by synchronizing the processes of fermentation of nitrogen-containing substances and carbohydrates in feed. Barothermal treatment of concentrated feed mixtures with high protein degradability and a high content of non-structural carbohydrates causes a more uniform fermentation of nutrients, intensification of microbial protein synthesis processes and an increase in the efficiency of energy use of carbo-hydrates and protein nitrogen by rumen microflora. This is evidenced by an increase in the number of ciliates by 4.4–8.1% and a decrease in the concentration of ammonia and volatile fatty acids in the rumen fluid by 5.2–9.2 % and 3.4–4.3 %, respectively. A decrease in nitrogen losses is indicated by a decrease in the content of urea in animals’ blood by 2.0–9.0%. Extrusion of concentrated feeds with high protein degradability and high content of non-structural carbohydrates improves animal productivity and feed efficiency. The average daily gain in live weight increases by 4.8-6.0% in the experimental group. As a result, feed consumption is reduced by 2.7-6.9%, while protein consumption is reduced by 2.6-5.7%.

This paper is devoted to the development of a decentralized control system design method with improved robustness, applicable to distillation columns control problem. The aim is attained by solving the following tasks: selection of representative models of columns; development of an effective transfer function identification algorithm; development of a decentralized controller design algorithm, which takes into account the cross-links impact; verification of the developed method for the selected models of columns. The most important result is the developed design method, which includes two algorithms. The first algorithm can be used to identify simplified models of the effective transfer functions. The second algorithm makes it possible to design a decentralized control system based on the ratio between the diagonals of the original model and effective transfer functions. Modified PI controller is used. The achievement of the distillation column control system robustness to the synchronous technologically conditioned deviation of the model parameters by up to three hundred percent of the nominal value is the paper signifi-cant result. The digital implementation of the designed controllers is simple. The analysis of the literature shows that none of the previously proposed methods for designing decentralized au-tomatic control systems solved such a problem. The efficiency of the developed algorithms is illustrated using the known models of dynamics of distillation columns. The analysis of limita-tions of the method as well as its significant differences to the Biggest Log Tuning and H∞ loop shaping methods is presented.

The paper aim was to study the normal functioning modes of consumers power supply by the distribution network, taking into account the electricity production using wind turbines, as well as to develop recommendations that allow optimizing power consumption modes. The goal was achieved by analyzing the initial information on the network section topology, the technical characteristics of linear and transformer equipment, as well as consumption and generation profiles. The most significant result of the paper was the determination of the fact that the connection of wind turbines according to the “install and forget” principle without prior justification of both connection place and wind turbine capacity often leads to significant change in the operating characteristics and additional technical losses of active power. In this case, the main part of the losses falls on power lines. The significance of the obtained results lies in the fact that the main problems, associated with the coordination of the operating modes of distributed generation facilities and load, were identified and possible technical solutions were proposed to improve the situation. Based on the obtained results it is possible to conclude that when connecting a wind turbine to a distribution network, it is necessary to take into account both the capacity and the installation location of the equipment, which significantly change the values of the operating parameters of electrical networks. It has been shown that use of energy storage devices, as well as the network reconstruction, can make it possible to minimize active power losses and carry out balance of regimes.

In view of the high compatibility of the Walsh-Hadamard transform to the architecture of mod-ern computing facilities, it is sensible to use it in methods of steganography and steganalysis. Now, there are some efficient steganographic methods that use the Walsh-Hadamard transform domain for information embedding presented in the literature. It is known that to ensure the reli-ability of the steganographic message perception, information should be embedded in its high-frequency components; nevertheless, the issues of the correspondence of the Walsh-Hadamard transformants to the frequency components of the original matrix of the cover image are poorly researched. The purpose of this paper is to develop a formal sufficient condition for ensuring the reliability of perception of steganographic messages in the Walsh-Hadamard transform do-main. This purpose was achieved by establishing the relationship between the Walsh-Hadamard transformants and the discrete cosine transform transformants, which was theoretically substan-tiated in two ways, and experimentally confirmed. Based on the established relationship between the Walsh-Hadamard transform and the discrete cosine transform, as well as the components of the singular value decomposition of the corresponding matrices, a sufficient condition has been developed to ensure the reliability of the perception of steganographic messages in the Walsh-Hadamard transform domain. The sufficient condition consists in the fact that after embedding of additional information using any steganographic method, those Walsh-Hadamard trans-formants that correspond to the singular triples of the matrix corresponding to small (smallest) in value singular numbers, should change.